An urban fringe and urban site. In the west it encompasses the escarpments at the edge of the Pang Valley where there is much woodland and land owned by Englefield Estate. The rest of the area includes the Reading Woodlands Local Nature Reserve, a group of mainly wooded sites within Tilehurst as well as a number of other woodlands in this area.
Joint Character Area: Thames Valley. The northern sections fall into The Chilterns.
Geology: The western slopes are chalk with Reading beds to the south and a small area of London Clay clay, silt and sand near Calcot. At the top of the slope there are more areas of Reading Beds with some glacial Winter Gravel. The rest of the area is a mixture of the same London Clay Formation, Reading Beds, a little Winter Gravel and at McIllroy Park the glacial Black Park Gravel Formation.
Topography: There is a west facing escarpment in the west while most of the areas in Tilehurst area on the slopes of the plateau in the area
Biodiversity
Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland: There are extensive areas of ancient woodland on the western escarpment and a number of sites located within Tilehurst which form the West Reading Woodlands LNR.
Parkland: There is a small area of parkland at Purley Hall near Pangbourne.
Geodiversity: Includes the exposures at Pincents Kiln SSSI.
Access: A number of accessible LNR sites in an urban location. A number of bridleways in the west including parts of the Berkshire Circular Routes.
Targets and Opportunities: woodland management, parkland management, potential for restoration of grassland habitats on the steeper slopes in the west in particular. The LNR provides good opportunities for woodland management within an urban setting. Much of the western area is owned by the Sulham Estate who are keen to enter the HLS scheme at the time of writing.
If you would like to get involved with projects in this BOA please contact us for current opportunities.